Marijuana Legalization. Initiative Statute.

Description

Legalizes limited amounts of marijuana, including concentrated cannabis, under state law for personal use, cultivation, possession, transportation, purchase, donation, or consumption by persons 21 years and over. Requires Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to regulate and license commercial marijuana cultivation, transportation, sales, and testing. Imposes 25% tax on nonmedical marijuana retail sales. Allocates revenues to repayment of general fund start-up loan to Department, research, afterschool programs, drug treatment and prevention, local law enforcement/fire, and environmental cleanup. Exempts medical marijuana collectives from licensing and regulatory requirements. Allows local governments to ban/limit number of marijuana businesses. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Reduced costs potentially exceeding $100 million annually to state and local governments related to enforcing certain marijuana-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Net additional tax revenues potentially exceeding several hundred million dollars annually related to the production and sale of marijuana, a portion of which is required to be spent on after-school programs, public safety, substance abuse treatment, environmental restoration, and the regulation of commercial marijuana activities.